


Pi(e)

by orphan_account



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cuddles, Fluff, Holidays, Love Confessions, M/M, Pie, losers doing science, stop making me tag things idk it's hella fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 15:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1309228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorky boyfriends celebrating Pi Day and the Ides of March because they totally would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pi(e)

The lab was nearly empty, everyone else having already left for the evening. It was quiet except for the scratching sound of pen on paper (a stupid _law_ was not going to get in the way of science!) and the soothing voice on the radio. At first listening to the radio while working had been horribly distracting, but as Carlos grew used to Night Vale and all the terrifying and bizarre things that happened and then were reported on the radio, it became sort of comforting. It was almost like having someone there with him while he worked.

That said, the radio could still be distracting. Especially when that wonderful voice practically sighed his name. The instant he heard “ _Carlos!_ ” his work was all but forgotten as he turned his full attention to the radio show.

“Carlos was saying that this Friday is pi day. And at first I was like ‘Pie? You know, it just doesn’t taste the same with gluten free crust.’ But then Carlos told me that it was p-i day. Not as in private investigator day, which was obviously the conclusion I came to. No, Carlos said, ‘Pi day. It’s a..um…a science thing.’ Well, I think all our listeners know what a big fan of science I am.”

After Cecil had gone to the weather, Carlos refocused his attention on his work. There were a few things he wanted to get done before “goodnight, Night Vale, goodnight” signalled that it was time for him to pack up for the night. But before the show came to an end Carlos’ attention was once again drawn back to it. Cecil wasn’t speaking English. He was speaking… Latin? Carlos hadn’t even known Cecil _could_ speak Latin. There were a few words that were vaguely recognisable, but he couldn’t understand what was going on. He breathed a sigh of relief when Cecil started speaking English again. He’d been a bit concerned, honestly. He wasn’t sure how it happened that the Apache Tracker came to only speak Russian (and never would now that the guy was dead) but he didn’t want something like that to happen to Cecil. Speaking the same language as your boyfriend was important in maintaining a relationship.

“That’s right listeners, idūs Martiī, the Ides of March!” The way Cecil said it made Carlos feel like he was missing more than just what he’d failed to understand on the radio. There was an awful feeling in his gut that told him that in Night Vale the Ides of March was likely a terrifying and potentially deadly holiday. He considered asking Cecil if there was any way to get his hands on a list of all the terrifying and potentially deadly holidays. So he could be prepared. Maybe plan on being out of town on those days.

“The time has come to remember the murder and subsequent rebirth of Julius Caesar! As always, the city council is looking for brave citizens willing to participate in a re-enactment. They advise that those wishing to avoid being stabbed twenty-three times remain inside, cowering in fear with their loved ones. They would also like to remind volunteers that dying after only twenty stab wounds, like _someone_ did last year, will absolutely not be tolerated.”

Well, Carlos didn’t need to worry about what he was going to be doing that weekend. It had been a while since he had last spent a day in his apartment, just cowering in fear. It would be a good chance to get caught up on some sleep.

As if in response to Carlos’ thoughts of sleep, Cecil signed off with his signature phrase and Carlos set about cleaning up his work surface, taking special care to hide his writing utensils.

* * *

 

When Carlos walked down to his lab Friday morning, he was surprised to see Cecil there. He was sitting on a countertop, holding a large bag and looking both incredibly nervous and incredibly adorable. His face went scarlet when he saw Carlos come in, and he pushed himself off the counter and walked over to his boyfriend.

“I hope it’s okay-”

Carlos quieted him with a quick kiss which had Cecil going even redder.

“Of course it’s okay,” he assured him, “You know I always love seeing you.”

Cecil smiled but he still looked nervous, like he wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t intruding on some important science. Carlos took his hand and led him over to the worn old couch he’d shoved into the corner of the lab. Cecil placed his bag on the floor and took a seat. When Carlos sat he moved in close to him, trying his best to make it clear to the other man that he was more than welcome. Cecil initially tensed up, but finally allowed himself to relax, leaning into Carlos’ body and resting his head on a lab-coat covered shoulder.

In the back of his mind Carlos was aware of all the science he was supposed to be getting done, but he couldn’t bring himself to care when Cecil was so close. After what seemed like an eternity (but a good kind of eternity) Cecil said “I brought you something” as he motioned toward the large bag he was holding. He leaned away from Carlos to retrieve it and when he moved back it seems like their shoulders were pressed even closer together. He took a cardboard box out of the bag and presented it to Carlos, looking at him expectantly. Carlos was about to lift off the top when Cecil suddenly placed a hand on top of his as if telling him to stop opening it.

“Okay, just before you look at it, let me explain.”

Carlos wasn’t overly concerned about the contents of the box before, but perhaps he’d been foolish to think that it would be harmless. After all, he wasn’t sure there was anything in Night Vale that could really be considered harmless. Cecil must have noticed the concerned look on his face because he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s not dangerous. Certified wheat and wheat by-product free, actually.” He let go of Carlos’ hand and let him start again on opening the box. “And I know it’s pi day with no ‘e’, but it’s a circle so we can use pi on pie, right?”

With the box lid removed, Carlos was relieved to see that it was just a pie, and a pretty normal looking one at that. It wasn’t an exact circle, preventing any precise calculations, but he wasn’t about to mention that. His boyfriend had brought him a pie so they could use pi to determine its area and circumference, and that was very possibly the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for him. He didn’t say that either. What he did say was, “What kind is it?”

Cecil’s face lit up like pie flavours were his favourite topic. “Kiwi. Old Woman Josie gave me the recipe.”

Okay, so his boyfriend had _made_ him a pie. He wasn’t sure whether he should forget the pie and just kiss Cecil senseless, or get out a ruler and start on pie calculations. He was really leaning toward the first option, but ultimately science won out. After a quick search through a couple of drawers he found a ruler, which after a quick rinse in the sink he deemed clean enough for use near food. Each man placed one hand on the ruler, moving together to measure the radius of the pie. Carlos felt like a complete idiot for thinking it, but there was something almost intimate about measuring a pie with Cecil, their hands touching, working so well together. He could feel his face heating up, and he felt even more ridiculous because they were just measuring a pie and there shouldn’t have been anything special about that. But one look at Cecil’s face told him that, as weird as it was, there _was_ something special about it.

* * *

 

Carlos didn’t end up getting much work done that day. After measuring, and then consuming 81.71 square inches of kiwi pie (which even with its gluten free crust was easily one of the most delicious things Carlos had ever tasted) Cecil and Carlos snuggled up together on the couch. They started out talking about work, but even after the conversation petered out they stayed there just enjoying each other’s company. Cecil was absentmindedly running his fingers through Carlos’ hair and Carlos was pretty sure he wouldn’t mind if things stayed that way forever. He didn’t realise how late it was, how long they’d been lounging there, until Cecil yawned and finally removed his hands from Carlos’ head, saying “I should probably be going.”

Carlos didn’t argue, but he didn’t move to make it any easier for Cecil to get up either.

“I mean, I’ve got to get ready for tomorrow. You know, cowering in fear is surprisingly exhausting.” From the tone of Cecil’s voice, it didn’t seem like he particularly wanted to leave. Nevertheless, he disentangled himself from his boyfriend and stood up, slinging the bag that once held pie over his shoulder.

“You could, well…you could stay. If you wanted to, that is.”  

Cecil responded with the biggest smile Carlos had ever seen. He hadn’t known people could smile that wide, actually. “Really?”

Carlos nodded, a smaller smile gracing his lips, “Tomorrow’s the Ides of March, and you’re supposed to cower in fear with your loved ones, right?”

It looked like Cecil’s eyes were going to pop out of his head. If his whole head didn’t explode first, that was.

“Carlos? Do you mean…”

At the first indication of a nod Cecil was on top of Carlos, shoving him down into the cushions of the couch, their mouths meeting in a furious clash of tongues and teeth. Carlos realised that he probably wasn’t going to be using the Ides of March to catch up on sleep anymore, but he also didn’t mind. After all, was there anything better than cowering in fear with the man he loved? Probably not.

**Author's Note:**

> *writes fluffy fluff instead of doing astronomy*  
> And now I want pie. fml.


End file.
